Song of the Day: Dana Buoy – Preacher

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song is “Preacher” by Dana Buoy from the 2014 album Preacher (EP) on Middle West.

For your go-to catchy summer song, look no further than Dana Buoy’s “Preacher”. Staying true to his name, Dana Buoy (a.k.a. Dana Jansson) lifts your spirits with the first synth notes of the title track off of his upcoming EP, Preacher. It’s the Portland-based artist’s first release since his solo debut, Summer Bodies, in 2012. We may know Janssen as Akron/Family’s drummer, but the man is a talented multi-instrumentalist, he wrote and performed the entire EP himself, with co-production by Abe Seiferth.

“Preacher” brings out more of the sunny energy we heard on Summer Bodies, with more assertive shimmers of synthesizer and a beat worthy of clapping along to. Listening to Dana’s contemplative lyrics and almost nasal vocals in each verse, absent of the poppy, sweeping synths of the chorus, I can’t help but be reminded of late 90s pop and cryptic alt-rock ballads that would so often define a summer. The anthemic chorus itself is undeniably appealing and requires enthusiastic head bobbing. Dana’s use of crashing percussion layered with synth and electronic squiggles is as bubbly and free as Passion Pit or STRFKR, putting him right in the mix with other indie electropop outfits.

Make sure to catch Dana Buoy with Sylvan Esso on August 26th at Neumos, and stay up to date by following him on Facebook and Twitter. Be on the lookout for the July 22nd release of Preacher, and for Dana’s recent in-studio performance here at KEXP. For now, here’s “Call to Be” from his 2012 album, Summer Bodies: